Roses are red.Violets are blue.I have a favorite thingThat I love about you.

It's okay to play favorites when you're talking about the products that you sell in your direct sales business. Love those products so much that you don't care what other people think about them. And when you have this deep affection for them, it will be easy to talk about them. To sell them.

When you do a party or put up a display, lead with the products you love. Your excitement for them will shine. It will give your customers confidence that you're knowledgeable about the whole product line and enthusiastic about the company even if your favorite products aren't their cup of tea. If they don't share your feelings about them, that's fine. You know they are the best things ever created.

And when you present with passion, it will make your customers curious about what else you have to offer. They'll ask questions and engage with you. And through those conversations, they may find something that they think is the best thing ever created, or at least good enough to order for themselves. And if they don't, your commitment to your favorites will make their decision to pass inconsequential to you. You won't take it personally.

How do you fall in love with a thing? The same way you fall in love with a person. You spend time with it. You get to know it. You have fun with it. And the more you love your products, the more you'll love your business. The more you love your business, the more your business will grow.

And the good news about falling in love with a thing, is that it doesn't know or care when something else takes its place. Your list of favorites can be fluid. It can change with each catalog release, each season, each week.

Roses are red.Violets are blue.Business is more funWhen I do it with you.

Your business will benefit from your having a pacing partner. She is someone who works her business at the same level/pace that you do. She is your accountability partner, your cheerleader and sometimes your coach. You can bounce ideas off each other, give each other pep talks and occasionally commiserate.

You don't have to have the same title or the same goals, but it helps because you will have similar experiences. The only thing you can't do is profit from each other. So she can't be your upline or downline.

You can have a pacing partner for a specific time period or have one indefinitely. Maybe you want to pace with someone who is working towards the same title promotion as you or maybe you are both working to earn an incentive trip. It can also be someone you have a lot in common with and just work well together.

When you're setting up your pacing partner relationship, schedule weekly check-in times. During these times you can share goals, challenge each other, swap ideas, etc. The most important thing is to hold each other accountable with grace.

I've had several pacing partners in the past. I even had one who didn't know she was my pacing partner. She was regularly recognized in my upline's newsletter, and so I knew what her numbers were. My goal was to match her numbers. I told my upline about this one-sided partnership, and she started giving me more specifics about her numbers like how many shows she had scheduled and how many recruiting interviews she did. It wasn't as fun as my other pacing partner relationships, but it worked. We both promoted to Director the same month.

Your team will also benefit from your having a pacing partner. You can do group trainings and friendly competitions. They'll get to know each other and maybe they'll find pacing partners. And you're modeling abundance mentality for your team. They know you aren't profiting from your partner's success, but you're still celebrating it.

Invite someone to be your pacing partner and watch both of your businesses grow.

Roses are red.Violets are blue.I'll make a nice work spaceFor me and you.

You and your business need a place to be alone. A place where you can focus on each other. It doesn't have to be a whole room. It can be a desk in the corner of your bedroom or a spot at your kitchen counter. It can even be your favorite table at Starbucks.

You will be so much more productive if you have a place to work and if you work when you're in that place. Let your family know that this is your work space, and when you're in it, you're "at the office." Put boundaries on your business.

When you do this, you'll find it easier to get yourself in a business mindset. You'll get to your tasks quicker. It will also help you leave the office. When you're not in your work space, you don't have to work. Your work won't spill over to every aspect of your life. And you won't feel like you're working all the time which is a huge cause of burnout.

If you can't make a physical work space where you can sit and use your computer and talk on the phone, create hideaways for your work. Shut down your computer so you're not tempted to do a quick thing when you walk past it. That quick thing usually turns into spending an hour in front of your screen. Put your phone in a different room during dinner and in the evenings so you're not responding and scrolling. Keep your inventory and supplies in a closet or bins so that you don't live in your warehouse.

You can also make a work space on your calendar. When do you want to work? When do you want to not work? Block off several times a week for dedicated office hours. Do only business-related activities during those office hours. You probably already have a routine for most things in your life like sleeping, eating and personal care. Most people's family schedule is fairly consistent from week to week. Make your business part of your predictable weekly routine.

We're on Day 2 of 14 Days of Loving Your Business. If you missed Day 1, check out this blog post.

Day 2

Roses are red.Violets are blue.I love all the peopleYou introduced me to.

Your direct sales business has introduced you to people you never would have met without your business. Some of these people have become your best friends. And speaking from experience, those friendships can outlast your business.

Who have you met through your business that you wouldn't have met without it? Think about teammates, customers, sister consultants and home office staff. And don't forget the people you've met at training and networking events. There are probably people on the list you haven't met in person yet. Maybe you're in a group on Facebook or you connected through Instagram.

Use the comments to tell me about everyone or just one person your business introduced you to. And if you want to tell the world about it, write a post on your Instagram account about everyone or just one person and use #mhb14days so that we'll see it. If you keep a journal, make a list in your journal. I bet you'll be surprised how many people you've met.

Here are some examples of posts you can write:

One of my favorite things about being a (company name) consultant is the people I've met through my business. Our paths only crossed because of it, and now I have a group of lifelong friends.

I started my (company name) business because I loved the product, but I continue my business because of the relationships and friendships I've made with my team, my sister consultants and my customers.

I was looking over my Facebook friend list, and what surprised me was the number of friends I haven't met in person, but yet I consider real friends. Most of these friends are people I've connected with through my business and over time the relationships have grown and strengthened.

14 Days of Loving Your Business is a program I did with my direct sales teams. It was a way for them to fall in love with their businesses by romancing it. Each day I set up "dates" for them. Most "dates" took just a few minutes, but they could take as much time as they wanted to.

I'm doing 14 Days of Loving Your Business on the My Heart Beats Instagram account. Each day I'll post a "date" for you and your business. Complete the date within 2 days and comment on the post. I'll pick a winner from the comments of each post and that person will get a My Heart Beats gift card. (See the official rules at the bottom of this article.)

You can come here for more details about the date and for ideas on how to take the date to the next level. This is a fun activity you can do with your team any time of the year. You can easily adapt it by making it more company- or product-specific.

Day 1

Roses are red.Violets are blue.This is the reasonI fell for you.

What is the product that made you decide to take the relationship with your company to the next level and become a consultant? Maybe it was love at first sight and it was the first product you bought. Or maybe you had to be won over and you fell in love with what the product did for you.

Use the comments to tell me about the product. And if you want to tell the world about it, write a post about your love story on your account and use #mhb14days so that we'll see it.

You can write about how you met and why you love the product. How it is different from all the other ones like it. How it makes you feel and what it does for you. Write like you're writing about your boyfriend or spouse. Don't try to sell him to us. You don't want us to fall in love with him. You want us to fall in love with your story and maybe we'll ask you if he has a brother.

Here are some examples:

This is the first product I ever bought from (company name). I got it at my friend's party a few years ago, and as soon as I saw it, I was in love. I used it all the time, and it is still one of my favorite products. I'm so glad I have it.

A few years ago I bought (product name). I say the before and after pictures, but I was skeptical because I used similar products in the past. But after a few weeks, I was less of a skeptic. So I tried a few more products, and they were equally, dare I say, amazing. I knew I had to have everything so I joined the company. And that's how my journey with (company's name) got started.

Contest rules:This giveaway is open to legal residents of the USA ages 18 and up only. Giveaway ends at 10 am on Sunday, February 3, 2019. By entering this giveaway, you release Instagram of any liability and acknowledge that this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram.

Did you know that you can make almost any card a thank you card? It doesn't have to have the words, "thank you" on the front. The words on the front of the card don't define what the card is. The words on the inside of the card do.

This isn't to say that the Happy Mail Collections aren't the perfect cards to send. They can be your go-to cards in almost all situations. But sometimes you want to mix it up. Go crazy. Do something radical.

Those are the times when you can send a card from the She is . . . and the She still is . . . Collections. Choose the one that is the right match for the recipient and for the reason for the note. Don't overthink it though. Your message on the inside turns it into a thank you note.

The Badass Collection is a great choice to send to someone who is in fact a badass. Thank her for just being a badass or for hosting a party or giving you a gift. You should probably reserve this collection for people you know well unless you are a legit badass. Then you can send them freely.

The message inside the thank you card follows the same 3-sentence outline whether the outside has the words "thank you" on it or not.

Reason for the note.

Something about the gift or act.

Something complimentary about the person.

If you can reference the words from the front of the card or from the story on the back, great. But you don't have to.

An added bonus about sending a card with a different message on the front, is that the recipient is more likely to keep the card. She might even display it on her desk or a bulletin board. And what's inside that card? Your name--available whenever she needs your product or service.

Here's a fun idea for Valentine's Day for your team. Send Valentine cards to your downline, but write it from their businesses.

If your downline's business was a person, it would probably be one of the people she spends the most time with. It would certainly be someone she has a love-hate relationship with. Let her business remind her of the love side of the relationship.

Write the message as if her business is a person she's dating and match the tone to the level of the relationship. So if it's new, keep it light and airy but hopeful for a future. If the relationship is getting serious (i.e. she is working towards leadership), make the message a little more serious.

Your message just needs to be three sentences, and the good news is that one of them can be Happy Valentine's Day.

Here are prompts to help you for the other two sentences:

a compliment

hope or a wish for the future

the journey they've taken

challenge they've overcome

Examples of what it looks like for a new business relationship:

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm so glad that we found each other, and I hope you're having as much fun getting to know me as I am getting to know you. I can't wait to see where we go together.

So, we've been hanging around each other for a while now, and I'd love it if you'd be my Valentine. I promise to always be there for you, and I'll drop everything whenever you want to spend time with me.

Examples of messages for an established relationship:

Happy Valentine's Day. I love us. I love how much we've grown together and how you bring out the best in me. I can't wait to walk across stage together.

My Valentine gift to you this year is a promise. I promise that if you spend time with me, I'll do everything I can to take you on the incentive trip. Imagine the fun we'll have there and how much stronger we'll be working towards it.

Your downline will probably figure out that you're the one who wrote it, but it will still be fun for her. And who knows, it might help her fall a little bit more in love with her business.

A Valentine is the perfect card to use in your direct sales business to connect with and to celebrate someone. It can be a teammate, a customer or a peer. When we were kids, we gave Valentines to every kid in the class. We didn't worry that someone might think we're being too pushy. We were just concerned that the cutest ones went to our favorite people.

So think like a 3rd grader. Send a Valentine to everyone. And if your list of "everyone" is too long, prioritize your list and start at the top.

Here's a suggested prioritization:

Leaders on your team

First line

Aspiring leaders on your team

Team members who are actively working their businesses

All team members

Potential recruits

Past and booked hostesses

Excellent customers

You only need to write 3 sentences. That's not hard especially when one of them can be Happy Valentine's Day.

Here are some prompts for other sentences for your team notes:

Compliment on her business

Compliment on her personally

Hope or wish for her future

Congratulations on achievement or overcoming a hurdle

Here is what that could look like:

Happy Valentine's Day! Oh my gosh, I'm so proud of you and how far you've come in your business. Your consistency and perseverance is paying off. This is going to be your best year yet!

Happy Valentine's Day. I'm so glad that you're part of the team. Your love of the product and willingness to help is a tremendous asset to all of us and to your business.

Happy Valentine's Day! You put your heart and soul into your business, and I know your team and customers are very blessed to have you. You are an inspiration.

Prompts for sending cards to your customers could include:

Thanking her for her support

Complement

Here is an example of a note to a customer:

Happy Valentine's Day! Thank you for supporting my business and for being a joy to work with. You are one of the reasons I love my job so much.

Here is the important thing to remember when you're sending a business Valentine--you can't ask for anything in return. You're just wishing her a happy Valentine's Day. You aren't asking her to sell more or to come to a training. You aren't asking her to buy anything, host anything or join your team. You are just letting her know you appreciate her. It's a note to connect and to celebrate.

Galentine's Day is a real thing. It's a fun holiday where you celebrate your favorite girlfriends. Ideally you'll get together with them for brunch like Leslie Knope, the founder of Galentine's Day, suggests. But if you can't do that, celebrate them by sending them a card.

Here are some ideas of what to say in the card.

Things you love about her.

A compliment.

A favorite memory of her.

An inside joke.

An invitation.

A thank you.

A wish for her.

Three sentences is enough.The whole message can focus on one of the above prompts, or you can use three of the prompts and write a sentence about each.

Here are some examples of what this looks like (and these may or may not have been taken directly from Galentines I sent).

Happy Galentine's Day! I'm excited for your new role as Nana. If I got to pick a grandmother, I'd want one as cool as you.

I'm so lucky to have you as a Galentine. No one tells a story like you do, and your chocolate cake is to die for. I hope we can have a proper Galentine celebration soon.

Happy Galentine's Day! I'm so proud of you. You're handling your new life with a confident and adventurous heart. I'm excited to see what this year hold for you.

I'm so honored to have you as a Galentine. When I think of who are my funniest friends, you're on the top of the list. And when I think of who are my wisest friends, you're on the top of that list. You're also on the top of the weirdest friends, but that could possibly be a result of the unusual combination of being on the other two lists.

Happy Galentine's Day. Remember that picnic we had at the lake in high school when we laughed so much we peed in our pants? We should do that again soon.

Happy Galentine's Day! I can't believe we've been friends for over 30 years.Thanks for all the late phone calls, free babysitting and lunch dates. Thanks for all the other stuff that I can't write so that we both have plausible deniability. Looking forward to 30 more years of shenanigans.

Happy Galentine's Day! Our friendship is the best thing about working at ABC. You are better than caffeine, break room snacks and Secret Santa. Don't ever quit, but if you do, take me with you.

Those should give you a good starting point about what to say in your cards to your Galentines this year. And the best part about Galentines is that it is sort of a made up holiday which means you can celebrate it any time of the year. So if you're super wrapped up in your Valentine plans, know that it is perfectly acceptable to send a Galentine this summer.